(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY UNA LUE
ANCHOR JENNIFER MECKLES

You're watching multisource world video news analysis from Newsy. 

After almost a month of unusual silence, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez admits he is battling cancer.
But he vowed to keep ruling -- from Cuba - where he is receiving treatment.

And while Chavez keeps power -- his supporters -- keep the faith. (Telemundo)

“Chavez is the president of Venezuela. He doesn’t work for 3 weeks, but the country is working well as if he was here. Chavez is president here, in Havana, even on the moon.” (BBC)

The 56-year-old leader has ruled for 12 years and plans to run for re-election in 2012.
But opposition parties say -- if he isn’t able, he shouldn’t rule.

“They also call for him to hand power to his vice president as president in short-term to resolve the temporary absent.”(Bloomberg)

Analysts say no politicians in Venezuela have Chavez’s charisma or national appeal. One tells The Wall Street Journal...

“(Chavez’s) absence would trigger ‘a frenetic struggle for power’ within the ranks of Mr. Chávez' movement, and could lead to cracks, especially within the military.”

But if not just another politician -- how about another Chavez? Christian Science Monitor reports, his brother, Adan, is ready to step in - possibly by force. The Monitor quotes him as saying...
 
“The revolution ... made it through elections and we want it to continue that way … but aware of the dangers that beset us and that the enemy does not rest, we can not forget as authentic revolutionaries, other methods of struggle.... It would be inexcusable to limit ourselves to only the electoral and not see other forms of struggle, including the armed struggle.”

And The New York Times quotes a filmmaker as saying -- if anyone disagreed with Hugo’s practices, they might find themselves even more at odds with his brother’s.

“Hugo Chávez had worked hard to portray himself as a democratic leader... his brother will never pretend. If Adán is ever president, we’ll miss Hugo.”

Finally -- the Miami Herald points out, any change in leadership could also cause concern in Cuba -- which relies heavily on funds from Venezuela.

“Cuba would plunge swiftly into chaos if Venezuela’s ailing President Hugo Chávez is replaced by someone less willing to subsidize Havana to the tune of $3.5 billion this year.”

Venezuela is preparing to celebrate the 200th anniversary of its declaration of independence from Spainon Tuesday, but it's unclear whether Chávez will be able to attend the festivities.

Transcript by Newsy.